Addiction Therapists in Bowen Island, BC.

My approach to addiction is multi-faceted and individually focused. Exploring personal history and trauma and grieving losses are often elements, as is reconnecting with the body and its wisdom. In many cases, developing one's spirituality is central to healing. I provide a safe environment for exploring and listening to the range of feelings that have been avoided through the addiction so that reconnection with self is restored and one's deepest longings can be satisfied.

The Orchard Recovery Center is a highly respected addiction recovery center— renowned for breaking the cycle of addiction and restoring hope and health to individuals, families and communities since 2002. The Orchard’s diverse and award winning staff will put your culture, family and values at the center of your recovery.

There is an interesting connection between trauma and addictions. When events or situations are perceived as life threatening or overwhelming (even though this might not be a conscious realization), the response to such overwhelming pain is logically to self-medicate. Treating addictions requires gently addressing how clients manage emotional, physical, and mental pain and sensitively building resources to find better coping strategies while healing old wounds.

Feeling trapped in a cycle of addiction? Are you using to escape reality? Do you feel like you can't function without your addictive crutches? Do you struggle to control your cravings, and your loved ones are worried? If any of any of this sounds familiar, counselling can help. Let's work together to break free from the chains of addiction and regain control of your life. Imagine building stronger relationships with family and friends, living a healthier life, and finding emotional balance and inner peace. Take the first step towards a brighter future today. Book your free 15-minute consultation now.

My qualifications include a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology and I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. I am also completing the education and supervision hours needed for certification as a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT-Candidate) and Certified Couples Betrayal Recovery Therapist (CCBRT-Candidate) with the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP). The programs offered by IITAP have provided me with specialized training, strategies, and tools to support and rebuild relationships that have been shaken by infidelity, problematic sexual behaviors, complex trauma, mistrust, and addiction.

Addiction isn’t the problem — it’s the solution your nervous system found to survive. In my counselling practice, I offer a compassionate, trauma-informed space to explore the pain beneath the pattern. Together, we slow down, listen deeply, and understand what your behaviour has been protecting. Healing begins with safety, honesty, and connection. If you’re ready to do the work, be honest with yourself, and reclaim your freedom, I’m here to walk with you.

Real Solutions for Real Challenges Common Sense techniques. Short-Term & Cost Effective Most often addictions are a symptom of pain. hurt , and loss of some form. The addiction serves to reduce this pain and suffering. However, the affect is has on the individual is to make them feel out of control, guilty, lazy, and generally worse about themselves whin in turn drives them to seek more relief. This is often the downward spiral of the addiction cycle. Martin helps his clients reframe thier negative statements about themselves and then exposes the core beliefs that keep triggering their destructive and untrue beliefs about their whole character.

While most treatment approaches to addiction include 12 step programs, rehabs, and now sober living houses, Grey Matters International, Inc. provides a wildly successful alternative to traditional models of addiction treatment----that keeps the brain in mind. That is, talking to the conscious brain while the primal brain is deciding things even before you are consciously aware? Well, that is the problem to solve in addiction. We have the solution utilizing a new cutting edge neuroscience-centered brain rebalancing system. Contact kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or call 877-606-6161.

I help individuals cope with addiction by aiming to understand the root cause of the addiction and how this is currently serving the individual by keeping them safe. Often individuals who have addictions have underlying issues such as anxiety, trauma, or mental health disorders. I work with individuals to identify their triggers and dysfunctional thought patterns and help modify their thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours that lead to addiction. Therapy can help to improve coping skills to manage stress, recognize triggers, and navigate through challenging moments in recovery.

There are many options available for addiction treatment. many people do not have time or resources for residential treatment for addictions. I am trained to work with people with addictions such as drug and alcohol, gambling, internet, sex addiction, and food. Addiction usually begins as a way of coping with stress and life challenges. As time progresses, the addiction becomes the main way of coping with difficulties. i help clients identify the problem areas of their lives, and learn healthier coping strategies to deal with difficult times. Addiction treatment begins with a willingness to change and hope for a more positive future.

I use a type of therapy called EMDR for addiction. This stands for Eye Movement Desensitizing and Reprocessing. Originally used for PTSD, it is very effective against addictions. It is a short term therapy that can be extremely effective in very little time. We identify triggers or urges that emerge just before one uses and we reprocess them so they are no longer triggering!

Instead of viewing addiction as "bad" or something to get rid of, we'll look at the role addiction is playing in your life so that you can begin to develop a compassionate relationship with it. Addictions are very often protective mechanisms that help people numb, manage, and cope with overwhelming emotions, trauma, and stress. Understanding addiction in this light creates the conditions for healing the underlying traumas that are keeping us stuck in the addictive cycle. I'll help you develop new internal resources that will help you cope with cravings and triggers so you can make the shift from self-destructive behaviors to self-empowerment.

“It was a long and heavy day and I just need to break the edge.” “I communicate better after few drinks” “I can’t fall asleep if I don’t have my…” When a substance becomes a “priority”, or becomes overused, it begins to creep into and destroy an individual’s health, family, relationship and even work. The question becomes "Do I have control over it or does it have control over me?". Often substances are used as coping mechanism without realizing that it often creates even more anxiety and depression, leaving a person feeling more stress and low down the road. Feeling anxious without a "quick fix" or a “temporary Band-Aid” is a strong indicator that a person is or has lost control with the desired substance. In counselling, we work to support...(view profile to read more)